A massive free festival of ideas and innovation is coming to London this month

A free festival of “energy ideas and innovation” is set to hit London this summer. Featuring the Shell Eco Marathon – where students from across Europe attempt to travel as far as they can using as little energy as possible, in a self-built car – and challenges put to celebs including Countdown’s Rachel Riley, Make the Future London is hoping to spread a message about providing the world with more clean energy.The event will take over Stratford’s Olympic Park from 30th June – 3rd July, and will also feature exhibitions on the evolution of energy, the chance to explore inventions that are changing the way our cities work, and an “Ideas Incubator” where the public can explore game-changing ideas and meet the entrepreneurs who are turning them into a reality.The event is run by energy giants Shell, whose commitment to renewable energy has seen them invest in energy efficiency projects across the world. See some of the projects that Shell has been involved in here.Make the Future London is the first festival of energy innovation and ideas that Shell has hosted, and allows room for 40,000 visitors to attend across each of its four days.The festival has four zones, each dedicated to a slightly different area: Mobility, the Future of Energy, the Maker Zone and the Innovators Zone.The organisers are hoping that the opportunities to experience science head-on will inspire students to think big, and to provide answers to the energy problems facing the world both now and in the future.

A key event of Make the Future London is the Shell Eco Marathon, which will see student teams from across the world challenged to create an energy-efficient vehicle.The global event – competitions also take place annually in Asia and the Americas – sees young engineers travel incredible distances in their vehicles: the longest distance achieved in the Marathon’s 30-year history is an impressive 2,343 miles. That’s the equivalent of driving from London to Rome and back, on one litre of fuel.Impressive, we think you’ll agree.The Shell Eco Marathon at Make the Future London will be kicked off by Countdown’s Rachel Riley. Other celebs lined up across the weekend include singer Pixie Lott, ex-footballer Pele, broadcaster Alex Brooker, Made in Chelsea's Jamie Laing and F1 star Kimi Raikkonen.Make the Future London is designed to create conversation and spark ideas about how to lower CO2 emissions and work together for a sustainable future. Read more about the event and get your free tickets here.See our gallery below to get a taste of what to expect at Make the Future London...